The present invention relates to pre-crash sensing systems for automotive vehicles, and more particularly, to pre-crash sensing systems having spheroidal partitioning for real-time safety threat assessment.
Auto manufacturers are investigating radar, lidar, and vision-based pre-crash sensing systems to improve occupant safety. Current vehicles typically employ accelerometers that measure forces acting on the vehicle body. In response to accelerometers, airbags or other safety devices are employed. Also, Global Position Systems (GPS) are used in vehicles as part of navigation systems.
In certain crash situations, it would be desirable to provide information to the vehicle operator before forces actually act upon the vehicle. As mentioned above, known systems employ combinations of radar, lidar and vision systems to detect the presence of an object in front of the vehicle a predetermined time before an actual crash occurs. Such systems have expense constraints and can be prone to false positives.
Other systems broadcast their positions to other vehicles where the positions are displayed to the vehicle operator. The drawback to this type of system is that the driver is merely warned of the presence of a nearby vehicle without more. In a crowded traffic situation, it may be difficult for a vehicle operator to react to a crowded display.
Information processing and bandwidth for communications can also limit safety applications. As more sensing devices are implemented, the signals generated must be processed, actions determined, and control signals communicated to safety modules having their own reaction latency. For example, airbag deployment, seatbelt pretensioning, nose dipping and braking have latencies of approximately 100 ms, 180 ms, 300 ms and 400 ms, respectively. Having an intelligent methodology which can learn and make efficient use of processing cycles, available data and communication bandwidth is desirable for a robust in-vehicle threat assessment.
It would be desirable to provide a system that takes into consideration the position of other vehicles and provides adequate warning to the vehicle operator and, should the situation warrant, provides crash mitigation.
The present invention provides an improved pre-crash sensing-system using spheroidal partitioning of the vehicle environment to warn the vehicle operator and respond to detected objects.
In one aspect of the invention, a method for operating a pre-crash sensing system for a vehicle having an object detecting system and an associated data storage is provided. The method includes partitioning the vehicle-operating environment into a plurality of zones wherein each zone represents a different area surrounding the vehicle. In response to detecting an object within any one of the zones, the method activates the zone, and modifies an operating state of the object detection system and the contents of the data storage as a function the active zone. In one embodiment, three zones are disclosed wherein each zone represents a spheroidal area the vehicle. When the furthest zone is active, all data within the data storage is given approximately equal processing priority. When the middle zone is active, the content of the data storage is modified to prioritize data regarding the detected object for processing. Finally, when the nearest zone is active, the content of the data storage is further modified to provide highest priority to data regarding the detected object.
One advantage of the invention is that the spheroidal portioning of the vehicle environment allows for prioritizing data processing and communication. This reduces the amount of unnecessary information exchanged and therefore communication is expedited allowing more time for the vehicle operator or countermeasure device to react to a detected object.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and appended claims.